Joel realised university wasn’t for him after a year studying Computing at a local university. After a rethink he decided to take on an apprenticeship because he was really interested in developing his skills in a working environment. His HR apprenticeship with Bury Council is a challenging and enjoyable role, with no two days the same!

I had already completed my application for university but the idea of an apprenticeship really appealed due to the added independence and ability to apply what I would be learning in the course directly to my work.

The apprenticeship is even better than I expected. It has driven me to be independent, mature and hard working. The apprenticeship is very well organised and I feel like I can really manage the balance of studies, working and home life.

There wasn’t a topic I was interested in enough to purely study for three years so it would just be a waste of money. At this point I started to search for school leaver programmes and apprenticeships. They seem to make so much more sense: you get a structured learning plan, a professional qualification, actual work experience, all while being paid a proper wage instead of racking up debt.

If I were going to give any advice to someone looking for an apprenticeship, it would be to 'be yourself'. Try to be confident, engage in conversation and get your name out there, make them remember you!

This apprenticeship appealed to me, as I would be doing real legal work, whilst also studying for my law degree. This structure is hugely beneficial, as most students will leave full time university with little or no work experience, and I will leave as a fully qualified lawyer, with 6 years’ experience and no university debt.

I had never studied law or even had a job before starting my apprenticeship. I wish I had known that the whole apprenticeship scheme was designed to help me develop and learn everything I needed, and therefore that I did not have to worry about my lack of experience!

I studied law at A level and always enjoyed my law lessons throughout Sixth Form, but had never considered applying for a law apprenticeship until I visited an open day at the firm where I now work. At this open day a current apprentice gave a presentation about what the apprenticeship involves and how you can eventually qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive.

I applied for an apprenticeship because I did not want to get into debt by going to university to study. I thought it would be a lot better to do an apprenticeship and learn from real life experiences instead of textbooks.